1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector comprising a plug member, a jack member, and a skirt to hold the free end portions of the pin-like male contacts of the plug member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Plug-in connectors comprising a plug member having a plurality of pin-like male contacts and a jack member having a plurality of female contacts are widely used. For example, in the interconnection between a printed wiring board and wiring cables, a plug member is attached to the printed wiring board and a jack member is attached to the cables, so that the plug member is coupled to the jack member by a plug-in connection. It is also possible to interconnect a printed wiring board to another printed wiring board by a connector comprising a plug member and a jack member. In computers, a mother board has plug members including pin-like male contacts to which jack members are coupled by a plug-in connection.
In coupling the jack member to the plug member by a plug-in connection, there is a possibility that the pin-like male contacts of the plug member may be bent if the pin-like male contacts are slightly distorted, or if the pin-like male contacts of the plug member are not exactly aligned with the female contacts of the jack member. If the pin-like male contacts of the plug member are bent, an electrical connection between the plug member and the jack member becomes incomplete. Recently, as the requirements of high density packaging have increased, the cross-sectional area and the pitch of the pin-like male contacts are becoming narrower. Therefore, the pin-like male contacts of the plug member are increasingly apt to be bent.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 4-112464, for example, proposes to arrange a skirt to hold the free end portions of the pin-like male contacts of the plug member to prevent the pin-like male contacts from being bent when the jack member is inserted into the plug member. The skirt comprises a substantially flat plate having holes in correspondence with the pin-like male contacts of the plug member, and is movable upwardly and downwardly relative to the plug member with the pin-like male contacts received in the respective holes. The skirt is supported by the plug member before the jack member is inserted into the plug member, and holds the pin-like male contacts in an accurate position. Accordingly, it is possible to insert the jack member into the plug member with the pin-like male contacts held in an accurate position.
In one example of this prior art reference, a stopper is arranged in the plug member for limiting an upper limit position of the skirt, and a spring urges the skirt toward the stopper, so that the skirt can move between the upper limit position and the bottom of the plug member. When the jack member is inserted into the plug member, the skirt is pushed by the jack member and moves downwardly and the female contacts of the jack member are fit over the pin-like male contacts. When the jack member is withdrawn from the plug member, the skirt returns to the initial upper limit position by the action of the spring.
In another example of this prior art reference, the skirt and the jack member have interengaging structures so that the skirt follows the movement of the jack member during insertion and withdrawal thereof. Also, a recess is formed on the side of the skirt and a projection is formed on the plug member to maintain the skirt at the upper limit position. However, this prior art does not clearly describe the mechanism by which the engagement between the skirt and the jack member, and between the skirt and the plug member can be effected only by the movement of the jack member during insertion and withdrawal thereof.
In widely known connectors comprising a plug member and a jack member, the plug member has a housing having an inner surface used as a guide surface, and the jack member has a housing having an outer surface, so that the jack member is inserted into the plug member while the outer surface of the jack member slides along the inner surface of the plug member. The relationship between the outer surface of the jack member and the inner surface of the plug member corresponds to the relationship between the female contacts of the jack member and the pin-like male contacts of the plug member, so the female contacts are naturally fit over the pin-like male contacts by simply inserting the jack member into the plug member.
However, in the above described prior art reference, the jack member is not inserted along the inner surface of the plug member, and means for locating the jack member relative to the plug member is not shown. Therefore, a problem arises in that a considerable time must be consumed to insert the jack member into the plug member, irrespective of the fact that the skirt holds the pin-like male contacts in an accurate position.
Also, in the case where the jack member is inserted into the plug member while the outer surface of the jack member slides along the inner surface of the plug member, there is necessarily a clearance between the outer surface of the jack member and the inner surface of the plug member. Thus a problem arises in that if the cross-sectional area and the pitch of the pin-like male contacts becomes narrower, the pin-like male contacts of the plug member cannot be always accurately aligned with the female contacts of the jack member, even in the structure where the outer surface of the jack member is guided along the inner surface of the plug member.